Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?
by Pey119
Summary: Human AU. The Seven and Nico find themselves in the midst of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-

Percy had started that day like no other. First, he kissed Annabeth goodbye as she left for work before going to the school he was working at. Nothing had felt wrong; he hadn't had a bad feeling. It was just a nice September day and he was looking forward to going out for lunch with his wife. The sky was clear and it wasn't going to rain, nor was it at all windy. Perfect weather for a picnic in Central Park.

That morning, Percy's life was perfect with all it had to offer. He was going to have a baby in January and had a loving wife. What more could he ask for?

"Nico, you and Frank are flying over here today, right?" Percy asked as he walked down the streets of New York City. "You don't want to be late for the baby shower. It's tonight, after we all get off of work."

"We're not going to be late." Nico said from the other end of the phone call. "Hazel's already there and Frank and I are on our way to the airport now."

"Shouldn't you be there already?!" Percy asked. "You're going to miss your flight!"

"Percy, I may still be a teenager, but I'm not stupid." Percy could almost hear Nico roll his eyes. "We'll be there, I promise."

"I told you to not promise!" Percy replied. "That's just asking to get jinxed."

"Whatever you say, Jackson. I have to go. See you later." Nico hung up the phone, leaving Percy alone with the people of New York. He didn't mind, however. They were his people, it was his city. He would always live and belong there.

Percy's weird phobia of making promises started when he was a small child. Growing up, it seemed as if every promise his father made turned into a lie, and he remember how much it hurt. So now, at twenty years old, he told everyone around him not to promise things. They understood, so they did the best they could. But sometimes, even they thought it was stupid. Percy didn't blame them, but he wished they would understand a little more.

"Percy!" Hazel ran to him, fresh out of her hotel room. Her hair was combed and put back in a ponytail, bouncing as she ran. When she finally caught up to Percy, she gave him a quick hug. "I haven't seen you in a year!"

"I know." Percy hugged her back, welcoming his old friend. "Glad to see you could make it. I just talked to Nico, and he said him and Frank are boarding their plane soon."

"Good," Hazel sighed in relief. "They better not be late or I'll kill them."

"Nico promised he would be here." Percy explained. "He sounded like he meant it."

"Nico will do anything to get somebody off his back." Hazel replied, but looked relieved. "Where's Annabeth?"

"Already at her work." Percy explained. "I'm heading to my school now. But I don't have to be there until nine."

"Why are you out so early then?" Hazel asked.

"I like walking the streets." Percy shrugged, not having a real excuse. "Want to get some coffee, catch up a little?"

"Sure!" Hazel linked their arms and pulled him to a nearby café. "I have something to tell you, anyways."

"Should I be scared?" Percy joked as they entered the doors.

"Eh, maybe a little." Hazel laughed before going and ordering her coffee. Once they got situated, the sat in a booth near the window.

"Are those the buildings Annabeth works at?" Hazel asked, pointing in the direction only she could see. Turning around to see from Hazel's angle, Percy finally realized what she saw.

"Well, she only works in one, but yeah." Percy explained, sitting back down. "She works in the one with the spike on it."

"They sure are tall." Hazel said in awe. "How does she stand that?"

"She likes heights?" Percy guessed, laughing. "I'm not really sure. What was it you wanted to tell me?"

Hazel brightened up, a small blush appearing on her face. "I was going to announce it at the baby shower, but I didn't want to ruin Annabeth and your spotlight, so I'm going to tell you now. Frank and I…are going to have a baby. I'm pregnant!"

"No way." Percy face broke into a smile. "That's awesome, Hazel! Have you told Nico?"

"No!" she swatted his arm. "He would kill Frank. He's too overprotective."

"You've got that right." Percy replied. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Percy." Hazel smiled and gazed out of the window. Then, her face became slack. "Percy-OH MY GOD!"

"What?!" Percy climber over the booth to see from her prospective, and then immediately regretted it. This couldn't be happening, no, no, no….

"What just happened?" Percy asked, his voice rising with strangers' all around him. "Hazel, what was that? The freaking tower just exploded!"

Hazel shook her head. "I don't know Percy. I was just looking at it, and then this plane was flying too low-"

"Annabeth!" Percy didn't wait for Hazel, instead running from the café. Hazel followed him, too in shock for the morning sickness to get the best of her. Why was this happening? Why Annabeth? Oh, god, she was supposed to be having a baby in January!

Percy ran down the streets of New York, not caring how many people he pushed aside or how he was told to go the opposite way. He had to save Annabeth, he had to save her. He couldn't let her die. She meant too much to him. Not to mention she was carrying his soon-to-be baby. He needed to save them, and that was the only thing that mattered.

Percy got to the base of the building, dodging the debris that fell and the stream of people that came pilling out. Before anyone could stop him, he ran into the building and started to climb the never-ending stairs. In that moment, he didn't even think about his own life, didn't even worry that he might also die. Instead, he focused on saving the ones he loved.

Once he got to the higher floors, the smoke started to thicken and his legs felt like jello. He could barely pick his legs up, but knew he had to help. This thought kept him going, past floors and floors of evacuating people. He was, in fact, the only one going up the stairs. Everyone else flew down them, as if Death himself was chasing them. Ironically, he was.

Percy could see the fire now, its red blaze and uncontrollable temperatures ruining everything around it. The ceilings were caving, the windows blown out. Flooring was destroyed and more than one body laid there burnt. Percy couldn't bare to look at them, especially since any of them could have been Annabeth.

"Annabeth!" he screamed for the hundredth time, the fire finally blocking his path. "Annabeth!"

No answer.

"Annabeth, I'm here!" Percy pushed aside beams and desks, looking through what he knew to be the floor she worked on. "Annabeth, please! Just make a noise! I can help you!"

The smoke seemed to become heavier, the fire stronger. He could barely see anymore, but he continued to look, refusing to believe the worst. He wouldn't lose Annabeth, the love of his life. He wouldn't. He refused.

 _"Percy, what abut this dress?" Annabeth stepped out of the bathroom, showing off a bright red dress she had recently bought. "Does it make me look too pregnant?"_

 _"It makes you look beautiful." Percy complimented. "Now, we better go, or we're going to be late."_

 _Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're only worried about being late because you want to get the best food."_

 _"Anything wrong with that?" Percy laughed, kissing her cheek. "But we do need to get there, for you. It's your work party."_

 _"I know." Annabeth smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for caring, even if it was for the food."_

 _"Hey, anything for you." Percy touched his forehead to her's, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you."_

 _"I love you, too." she whispered, staring into his eyes. Silently, she kissed him on the lips before breaking the hug. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Get a move on."_

 _"Wise Girl!" Percy said, exasperated, but laughed anyways._

"Annabeth…" Percy sunk to his knees, feeling the last of his vision disappear with the thickening smoke. "Where are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

When Annabeth had gotten to work that morning, she immediately walked to Piper's desk, talking to her oldest friend. They chatted about plans for the baby shower and possible names for the baby. When Annabeth mentioned one, Piper giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"What's so wrong with the name Athena?" Annabeth asked, offended. "That's my mom's name."

"There's nothing wrong with it." Piper stopped her laughing fit. "It's the name of a goddess. Do you want her to get bullied?"

"First of all, we don't know if it's a girl or a boy." Annabeth scolded. "Second, she would not get bullied for that name. All the other kids would wish they had that name."

"Don't get defensive." Piper joked. "I would love anything you picked. I'm going to be the godmother, after all."

"Yeah, so if me and Percy both die in some freak accident, the baby would be your's to raise." Annabeth instructed.

"Pleasure's mine." Piper saluted, making Annabeth scrunch up her nose.

"You're just like Leo!" she hit Piper's arm. "Always making a joke out of everything."

"Hey, it was funny!" Piper spread her arms out, laughing at her friend's expression. "And I am not Leo!"

"You so are." Annabeth replied, going to sit at her own desk. "But don't worry, Jason will still love you."

"Ha ha." Piper pulled her hair up in a ponytail, turning on the small fan at her desk. "You just wished Percy loved you as much as Jason loves me."

"Want to bet?" Annabeth pointed at her pregnant stomach. "I win."

"That's not fair!" Piper huffed, going back to her computer. "Is it even his baby?"

Annabeth threw a pack of sticky notes at her, hitting her flat on the head. "It sure is his baby!"

They both laughed, their gazes locking for a minute. Somehow, Annabeth could see the dread in Piper's eyes and feel it in her own. Something was wrong, and they both knew it. It felt like Death was wrapping his cloak around them, readying his scythe for their reaping. Nothing would account for their uneasiness, but they both knew it to be true. They continued to keep their gazes locked, until the plane hit the building, and they were thrown from their seats like rag dolls.

Annabeth watched as Piper was thrown against the wall, her head snapping on impact. In less than two seconds, her best friend was killed, leaving no time for goodbye or sorry's. She was gone, and there was no getting her back.

Annabeth tried to move herself, but her body refused to come out from under a desk. On top of the desk, computers and printers were thrown, weighing it down even more. Looking at her stomach irreproachably, Annabeth could see a box cutter sticking out of the top, blood pooling out from the wound. Panic started to rise in her chest, but her arms were pinned to her sides and she could do nothing but stare at the wound.

The smoke was thickening, her blood darkening. Annabeth couldn't feel her baby kick anymore, nor could she feel her legs whatsoever. All she could do was lay there, slowly becoming dizzy from lack of blood and the smoke that snaked its way into her lungs. As tears fell down her cheeks, the only thing she could think of was her husband's face, his sea green eyes staring back at her.

They were her last thought.

—

Jason worked in the South Tower with one of his best friends, Leo Valdez. It really was a dream job, especially considering how young they were. They were lucky, making that much money and creating a career. If anybody asked him, Jason would say his life was perfect as it was. Yeah, he didn't have a perfect childhood, but he was happy. He had the ones he loved close by and a ton of friends to back him up. He was twenty-two and living the dream.

And then a plane rammed into the North tower and ruined everything he ever thought of. When it first hit, he had looked up in alarm at the noise. He wasn't sure what it was or where it came from, but was on alert about what had happened years before, when the garage of the same building was blown up by a bomb.

Jason had jumped from his seat and to the nearest window, looking out at the city he grew up in. Below him, people were walking about, but something seemed off about the way the were. They weren't walking…they were just…standing there…

Smoke in the edge of his vision made him look up, seeing for the first time what would haunt him for the rest of his life. The North Tower, the one his girlfriend worked at with their friend, was on fire, a hole carved into the top of it. When he looked around him, his fellow workers were also staring in awe at the sight.

Jason was about to run from the tower to get Piper when a voice came over the intercom, telling them not to evacuate and that it had been an accident; that it would be okay. They were told that fire trucks were on their way and that everyone would be saved.

Why had he believed them?

He went back to work, knowing there was nothing he could do. But then, some time later, another noise came from above him, throwing him out of his seat and onto the floor. Showers of sparks rained from the ceiling, setting fire to desks and papers. Before Jason could think, he was dragged by Leo Valdez out of the room and to the staircase, which was already flooded by those trying to escape, running for their lives. A couple of floors down, Jason finally got his bearings and ran alongside Leo.

When they emerged from the building, Jason didn't even have time to breathe in relief before he was shepherded away from the scene by police and firefighters. Him and Leo were ordered to run, not walk, but run until they were at least five miles away, where they would be safe. They past a wailing woman, a praying priest, a child looking for his mother, and a man proclaiming that the buildings were going to come down, that they weren't strong enough.

Jason could only hope that the man was wrong.

"Shouldn't we go help Annabeth and Piper?" Jason asked Leo, standing still with the crowd of people looking up at the towers.

"They'll be fine." Leo said, but didn't sound sure. "Percy's probably already getting them out."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

Nico and Frank had boarded Flight 93 that morning and didn't think anything about it. But then whispers began to form on their flight, the news of what was happening spreading to every person.

Their plane was hijacked.

"Frank, I'm not dying like this." Nico's voice became angry, desperate. "I'm not dying a victim."

"What can we do?" Frank asked him, his voice helpless.

"I don't know." Nico answered quietly, putting his head in his hands. "What can we do?"

And when the plan reached him, he finally had something he could do.

"That's crazy." Frank was against it from the beginning. "Nico, we'll die! I'm having a baby, Nico! I can't die-"

"We're going to die anyways." Nico put his hands on Frank's shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "We're going to die anyways."

Frank had never seen the fifteen year old so serious, and it scared him a little. But looking in his eyes, he knew he was right.

"I'm in." Frank said. "I'm in."

Nico smiled, his face ashen. "Let's die heroes today Frank, not victims."

Nico got out his phone, calling Hazel and putting the receiver up to his ear. He need to tell his sister goodbye, tell her how much he loved her. It was only right.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Hazel asked immediately. He could hear the screams around her, and knew that she was in New York City.

"Did you really just say what's wrong?" Nico asked sarcastically. "The world's falling apart!"

"I know." Hazel agreed. "Where's Frank?"

"He's right next to me." Nico admitted, feeling his voice become shaky. No, he wouldn't cry. He wouldn't let himself cry.

"Nico, what are you talking about?" Hazel's voice rose with panic. "Nico, what's going on?!"

"Hazel, I love you. You were a great sister. When you have your baby, I hope it looks like me, or Frank. You should name it after Frank. If it's a girl, name it after me." Nico joked.

"Nico-"

"Hazel, it's alright." Nico calmed her worries. "I'm not dieing a victim today. I'm dieing a hero."

He hung up, not able to talk to his sister anymore without crying. He wouldn't cry that day, he wouldn't let them see him cry.

"Come on, Frank." Nico stood up, straightening his clothes. "Let's take this plane down."

—

"Leo, Jason!" Hazel ran up to her friends, who stood staring up at the skyline.

"Hazel, you're alright!" Jason welcomed her into a hug.

"Percy ran into the first tower and hasn't come out yet." Hazel expressed her fears. "I don't know where he is, or what he could be doing up there…"

"Are Frank and Nico here yet?" Jason asked, trying to get her to calm down.

"They should be just boarding their plane now." Hazel answered. "But they're plane might have gotten canceled or something. But they haven't called me."

"That fire's growing." Leo commented, not taking his eyes off of the South Tower. "It wasn't that bad when we were up there."

"Office fires grow quickly." Jason explained. "How are they going to get to something so high up?"

"I dunno." Leo shrugged. Just then, a lady holding a radio let out a gasp in shock.

"What did it say?!" Jason asked, his voice rising with hundreds of others.

"A plane hit the pentagon!" a teenager screamed. "We're all going to die!"

"We're not going to die." the mother tried to comfort her, but she could barely calm down herself.

Hazel's phone started to ring, and when Jason looked over her shoulder, it was Nico's caller ID.

"Shouldn't he be on his plane?" Jason asked.

Hazel shrugged before answering the phone, putting it on speaker so Jason and Leo could hear. Together, the stepped into an alleyway and away from the screaming.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Hazel asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"Did you really just say what's wrong?" Nico's sarcastic voice rang from the receiver. "The world's falling apart!"

"I know." Hazel agreed. "Where's Frank?"

"He's right next to me." Nico's voice sounded shaky. "Hazel, I wanted to say I love you, okay?"

"Nico, what are you talking about?" Hazel felt her voice rising. "Nico, what's going on?!"

"Hazel, I love you. You were a great sister. When you have your baby, I hope it looks like me, or Frank. You should name it after Frank. If it's a girl, name it after me." Nico joked.

"Nico-"

"Hazel, it's alright." Nico calmed her worries. "I'm not dieing a victim today. I'm dieing a hero."

And then he hung up, making Hazel fall to her knees and start to shake with sobs.

"Hazel, it's okay." Jason tried to comfort her, but nothing worked. She sat there sobbing, and all Jason and Leo could do was stay with her.

And then the South Tower collapsed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

"Run!" Jason screamed and picked Hazel up, knowing she was too out of it to care. Leo ran with him, finding a café to hide in and ushering them inside. Strangers all around them did the same, shutting the doors just before the ash and soot covered everything in the streets; the smoke so thick their view of the sunshine was gone completely. When everything settled, it looked like it had just snowed really dirty snow outside.

"Jason…" Hazel whimpered. "What just happened?"

"The South Tower collapsed." Jason explained. "You need to calm down. Try to take deep breaths."

"But what about Nico and Frank?" she asked. "If they're in trouble, something else is going to happen."

The reality of that weighed itself on Jason strongly.

"Should we go outside?" Leo asked, his voice serious.

"Honestly…" Jason was suddenly exhausted. "I don't know."

"What if somebody's hurt out there?" Leo asked. "What if they're waiting for somebody to save them?"

"What if the other tower comes down?" Jason asked. "I don't want you to die, too."

"But Percy, Piper, and Annabeth are in the other tower!" Hazel cried out. "Jason, are they going to die?!"

"I don't know, Hazel." Jason answered. "I really don't know."

"Don't you know anything?" she asked. "Jason, my boyfriend and brother are probably dead right now. If half my friends are going with them, I want to know."

"If I knew I would tell you, I promise." Jason answered. "Please calm down. Nico said you're pregnant, and worrying isn't good for the baby."

Hazel nodded, tears falling from her red, swollen eyes. "Jason, I'm scared."

"Me, too." he sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Me, too."

"Screw this!" Leo turned away from them and headed for the doors. "I'm going to help."

Jason began to yell out his friend's name, but Leo was already gone. Since he was taking care of Hazel, he couldn't go after him, and that killed him the most.

—

The first steps Leo took on those streets after the tower collapsed were the things he would remember most in life. The way his feet crunched the soot and ash, the still burning papers on the sidewalk….and all around him, people came out covered in white. He wondered if it was a mistake to come out at all when he heard a woman screaming for help.

Immediately, he ran to where she was, seeing that her legs were limp on the sidewalk.

"Please help me!" she screamed. "My legs…I think something hit my spine. I can't move them!"

"I've got you." Leo confirmed picking her up. "It's going to be okay."

He ran with her back to the café, setting her carefully down next to his friends. Immediately, strangers brought her water bottles and began to look at her back, with had debris sticking out of it.

Leo was about to go back out when another ear defying sound came, and the other tower fell to the ground.

Smoke and ash blew past the café just like before, blocking the sun and any other source of light. All was dark until it settled, creating the same scene as it did the time before.

"Did that really just happen?" Leo asked, staring blankly at the outside world, which seemed to be in ruins from his perspective.

No one answered, but they all seemed to be thinking the same thing as him.

Later that night, they all stayed in Leo's apartment, eating leftovers from the day before and cleaning up from the debris and ash. Their clothes were ruined and their souls crushed. Only then did they find out about the plane crash landing in Pennsylvania, and that there was no survivors from it.

Only then did Hazel really know that Frank and Nico were dead.

Leo went to his room that night and laid down, but was unable to sleep. Silently, he got up again and got the Bible out that he hadn't used in years. Crawling into bed with it, he read until the sun started to rise through the haze of the smoke, still bellowing from their city.

He would never sleep well again.


	5. Chapter 5

Epilogue

When Hazel opened her eyes the next morning, she was still in that haze between sleep and awareness. In that moment, even if it was less than a second, everything was okay, everything was fine. Nothing was going on and nothing was anywhere. In that moment, all was bliss.

And then memories came flooding back, and she ran to the window to make sure it wasn't a dream. When she looked out, she saw mounds of steel and beams where the towers used to stand, smoke rising, still, and soot covering everything.

It was true. Her brother was dead. Her boyfriend was dead. And the other half of her friends were probably dead, too.

"We have to go down there and look for them!" Hazel cried out, waking Jason up and making Leo emerge from his room. "We have to go see if we can find them!"

"Hazel…" Jason started, but changed his mind. "Alright, but make sure you get a coat."

They all hurriedly got dressed and went onto the streets again, going to the rubble and starting to look with hundreds of others; firefighters, police men, and regular citizens all joined as one. A single flag was risen in the mess, creating order in the chaos.

That day, they dug and dug, finding wedding rings and old hats. They found scraps of clothing and limbs. Sometimes they found whole bodies, but they were burnt beyond recognization.

They went home that night not finding any trace of their friends.

The next morning, they started again.

This continued for days, weeks, months….

They never found their bodies.


End file.
